'Competition is On' for CB Quinton Dunbar, Seahawks Newcomers

During their virtual pre-draft press conference, coach Pete Carroll and general manager John Schneider have made it clear to everyone that none of Seattle's new additions will be given a starting role and will have to earn it.

So far this offseason, the Seahawks have added a lot of depth at multiple positions, including their offensive line, secondary, defensive line, and tight end corps.

While the start of training camp is still months away and offseason programs postponed indefinitely due to the coronavirus, that hasn’t stopped general manager John Schneider and coach Pete Carroll from offering a friendly reminder playing time is earned and not given in the Pacific Northwest.

During his pre-draft virtual press conference on Tuesday, Carroll revealed the competition has already started for all of Seattle's new additions, including cornerback Quinton Dunbar and guard B.J. Finney, and that each player who’s brought into their organization will have to win a starting gig.

“Competition is on, couldn’t be more clear," Carroll discussed. "That’s the way we’ve always built this thing, we know it’s the best way for us to go and it just accentuates the competition. That doesn’t mean that those guys are coming in here to take jobs automatically, they got to earn them.”

Throughout Carroll’s tenure in Seattle, he’s utilized this same principle every season during rookie minicamps, offseason workouts, training camps, preseason games, and the regular season. The "always compete" mantra remains a pillar of his philosophy.

With the Seahawks hoping for better results from their secondary next season, it’ll be very interesting to see how incoming free agents and trade acquisitions will adjust to a new culture during his first season with the team. While both Schneider and Carroll chose to avoid discussing Finney's status as it pertains to potentially replacing Justin Britt as the starting center, he did offer a detailed evaluation on Dunbar.

Despite Dunbar's impending free agency after the 2020 campaign, Carroll mentioned he can’t wait to start working with the former Redskins standout and that he and his staff believe the lengthy 6-foot-2 cornerback will be a great fit for their defense.

“I’m excited about this guy. He’s a play-maker and we need depth at corner, we need to cover people up, we need to be able to match up really well, continue to do that,” Carroll said. “It just makes us that more competitive and hopefully it adds to the coverage that we need to play the kind of ball we want to play. He was really excited about coming here and being a part of it and that was all part of the fit.”

Along with these comments from Carroll, Schneider also assessed the acquisition of Dunbar and how he feels the six-year pro can fit into Seattle’s defensive plans.

“He’s a wide receiver conversion, but he’s done a great job, he’s got a great feel for receivers at the top of the route, he’s got great ball skills, he can play inside, he can play outside,” Schneider detailed.

Dunbar, 27, showcased those impressive traits for Washington last season. In total, the former undrafted free agent out of Florida played in 11 regular season games and produced 37 total tackles, eight pass deflections, and a career-high four interceptions.

Even after being acquired via trade, Dunbar will still have to beat out incumbent Tre Flowers for the starting role opposite of Pro Bowler Shaquill Griffin. It's also possible all three corners could be on the field at the same time if the Seahawks choose to use more nickel packages with an extra defensive back next season.

Regardless of what happens schematically, Dunbar should offer a lot of more upside than Flowers, as he's more disciplined, superior in coverage, and offers more consistency as a tackler. During the 2019 campaign, the former Gator allowed a 68.4 passer rating, recorded just three missed tackles, and drew just one penalty.

In comparison, Flowers surrendered a 72.5 passer rating, produced the most missed tackles (15) by any cornerback, and finished tied for the second-most penalties (nine) among all corners in the league, according to NFL-Penalties.com.

Based on these metrics, Dunbar should hold the edge over Flowers whenever training camp begins this summer. But as Carroll mentioned, Seattle’s coaching staff won’t make any changes to their lineup solely based on past performances or salary.

With that in mind, the Seahawks have sent a clear message to all the newcomers to their organization: everything must be earned in Seattle and nothing will be given.